GES Sheet Metal Inc.: Bringing Bold Architectural Sheet Metal to Life

By / Robin Brunet • Photos courtesy of GES Sheet Metal Inc.

David and Michelle Lee first ventured out on their own as sheet metal specialists by forming a non-union company in 2003. Shortly thereafter, Michelle could regularly be overheard telling her husband, “I really miss SMACNA. I want to get back in.”

Lee, who subsequently co-founded GES Sheet Metal Inc. with David, laughs at the memory. She says, “In 2003, our only goal was to grow a company from the ground up and leave something big enough behind for our children to run.

“But we had worked with many SMACNA members in the past and loved the camaraderie. So, when the chance came to purchase GES in 2013, we were enthusiastic because, among other things, it was union. And we’ve never looked back.”

The Lees and a proficient crew have forged a reputation as leading manufacturers and installers of architectural metal panel and other systems for a wide range of clients. Lee jokingly refers to her work as “putting the jewelry on buildings,” but in fact GES helps bring bold architecture to life, often via the design-build construction process. One example is the soaring, six-storey steel latticework supporting a green wall on the IAC building in Los Angeles. Another is the massive polished steel cylinder defining the entrance of the Pen Factory in Santa Monica, as well as the uniquely ribbed/corrugated façade of Christie’s auction house in Beverly Hills, for which GES created special dies.

GES’s Fontana-based shop with its Hans 4000 watt fiber laser machine, AXYZ panel builder, and other equipment provides column covers, roof and wall panels, louvers, sunscreens, expansion joint systems, canopies—virtually anything required by developers to complete their commercial and residential projects and set them apart visually from the competition. “David and I love hardware, we love metal, we love working with it and talking about it, and that has helped us achieve our goal of exceeding clients’ expectations,” Lee says.

Being a SMACNA Southern California (SoCal) member is another element supporting GES’s success. “They have phenomenal resources, their scholarships are incredible, and they never fail to listen or help you with industry issues,” Lee explains.

The Lees were exposed to SMACNA early on in their work life: as the daughter of hardware store owners, Michelle at 22 joined C&J Metal Products and stayed there for 18 years. “We sold to the heating and ventilation guys, all SMACNA members, and even as a youth I appreciated how on the ball they were,” she recalls.

David formed the same opinion in his early role as a construction manager for a structural steel company. Michelle adds, proudly, “We got married in 2002, and it’s no secret I taught him everything about the trade. We both had a strong entrepreneurial spirit, and we grew our company slowly, acquiring tools bit by bit and going out of our way to provide excellence and cost efficiency in service.”

Although their creativity was evident early on (most notably for a church in Burbank with an elaborate, multi-plane metal roof design), the Lees truly came into their own after the acquisition of GES, whose original owner had been a C&J customer.

“He and his wife wanted to sell the company and retire, and this was a great opportunity to grow our sheet metal skills,” says Lee, adding that being Metro certified and a Los Angeles City certified fabricator of steel, aluminum, stainless steel, and copper also benefitted their business significantly.

Today, eight of GES’s 18 staff members are family; many others are people David and Michelle worked with in the past. The resulting strong level of trust and commitment has enabled the company to fulfill ambitious projects, such as the IAC office (the sculptural lattice, which appears as if it were draped against the building, was designed by Rios Clementi Hale Studios), as well as the steel-bolted framing and perforated steel panel systems comprising the Metro Bike Hub at Los Angeles Union Station. (The panel systems can be disassembled and relocated as needed).

As for active involvement in SMACNA, David is part of a steering committee studying labor and training issues, and Michelle hopes to contribute at some point. “Thanks to my immediate and extended family, I had five new grandbabies in January, so I’m pretty busy dividing my time between work and home,” she says.

With Lee and her husband being a young and active 57, they have no intention in slowing down anytime soon. “With SMACNA’s continued support, we’ll continue to grow GES,” she says. “And somewhere down the line, it would be great if another family member took over. I think that’s pretty much in the cards.” ▪